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Big Town

Wednesday, October 8, 2008, 09:04 PM

"Big Town" series added to "club members area". 82 Shows: Crime Drama (1937 - 1952). Big Town is a story about Steve Wilson, managing editor of the crusading Illustrated Press, and his pursuit of truth and justice. The role was first played by the illustrious Edward G. Robinson from 1937 to 1942 and was broadcast out of Hollywood.

"Big John and Sparkie" series added to "club members area". 98 Shows: Although Jon Arthur created and produced Big Jon and Sparkie for kids, it is a wonderfully inventive and gently humorous show that many adults will find utterly charming.

"Buck Rogers" series updated in "club members area". Added 37 more shows. In 1932, the Buck Rogers radio program, notable as the first science fiction show on radio, hit the airwaves. The radio program aired four times a week for 15 years, from 1932 through 1947. It told the story of a person from our own time finding himself in the 25th Century.

"Arch Oboler's Plays" series added to "club members area". 52 Shows: Arch Oboler's career spanned the history of the golden age of radio and into 3-D movies and campy horror flicks. Flexible to the world changes around him, Oboler remained at the forefront of popular entertainment throughout his career pushing each medium to its creative limits.

"That Hammer Guy" added to "club members area". 14 Shows: Mickey Spillane's Mike hammer in action! Based on Mickey Spillane&#65533;s tough-guy detective, That Hammer Guy aired in a series of half-hour episodes in 1953.

"Michael Shayne Private Detective" added to "club members area". 31 Shows: Detective melodrama, based on the books by Brett Halliday. Donald Curtis as Shayne until Nov.; Robert Sterling and Vinton Hayworth subsequently as Shayne.

"Challenge Of The Yukon" series added to "club members area". 319 Shows: The program was an adventure series about Sergeant William Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police and his lead sled dog, Yukon King, as they fought evildoers in the Northern wilderness during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. Preston, according to radio historian Jim Harmon, first joined the Mounties to capture his father's killer, and when he was successful he was promoted to Sergeant. Preston worked under the command of Inspector Conrad, and in the early years was often assisted by a French-Canadian guide named Pierre.

"Ann Of The Airlanes" series added to "club members area". 25 Shows: Ann of the Airlanes was a syndicated radio adventure drama series broadcast between 1932 and 1935. The story focused on Ann Burton, an airplane hostess employed by Interstate Airlines. She also worked with the Secret Service, as did her romantic interest, pilot Jack Baker. Gerald Mohr portrayed Secret Service agent and co-pilot Art Morrison. Also in the cast was John Gibson who portrayed Pete. There were more than a few radio aviation dramas during the 1930s, but this was the only one with a female lead.

"Archie Andrews" series updated in "club members area". Replaced with better sounding copies and added 25 more shows. Now 50 Shows total: Archie Andrews (of comic book fame) was heard on radio in the early 1940s. Archie Andrews began on the Blue Network on May 31, 1943, switched to Mutual in 1944, and then continued on NBC from 1945 until September 5, 1953. Archie was first played by Charles Mullen, Jack Grimes and Burt Boyar, with Bob Hastings as the title character during the NBC years. Jughead was portrayed by Harlan Stone and Cameron Andrews as Jughead. Stone later wrote a book about his experiences on the series.

"Sherlock Holmes .vs Dracula" added to the "Free Section". Located on the home page. 2 Shows: Sherlock Holmes v Dracula by Loren D. Estleman. Adapted for radio and directed by Glyn Dearman. The year is 1890. A ship is discovered adrift off the English coast, its crew missing, its murdered captain lashed to the wheel, and its only passanger is a sinister black dog. This impenetrable mystery is clearly a case for the inimitable Sherlock Holmes, but for the first time in his illustrious career the great detective is baffled. Clearly the crew have been murdered and dumped overboard, but what can account for the captain's expression of imponderable terror and his acute loss of blood, or the ship's strange cargo - fifty boxes of earth?

"Silent Men" series added to "club members area". 27 Shows: Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. played the parts of "special agents of all branches of the federal government, who daily risk their lives to protect the lives of all of us... to guard our welfare and our liberties, they must remain nameless - The Silent Men!" At each episode, Fairbanks checked in with his chief, played by either William Conrad or Herb Butterfield. Regulars included Virginia Gregg, Raymond Burr, Lou Merrill, Lurene Tuttle, Paul Frees and John Dehner. Don Stanley was the announcer. The show was produced and directed by Warren Lewis, who wrote many of the scripts along with Joel Murcott. The series ran on NBC.